Dianella plant named ‘Allyn-Citation’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Dianella  plant named ‘Allyn-Citation’, characterized by its compact, upright and slightly outwardly slanting plant habit; dense growth habit; narrow and stiff leaves arranged in an upright basal rosette; grey green-colored leaves; and durability with good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Dianella revoluta.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ALLYN-CITATION’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dianella plant, botanically known as Dianella revoluta, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Allyn-Citation’.

The new Dianella plant is a product of a breeding program conducted by the Inventor in East Gresford, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Dianella plants with grey green-colored narrow leaves.

The new Dianella plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor on Sep. 20, 2003 in East Gresford, New South Wales, Australia of two unnamed selections of Dianella revoluta, not patented. The new Dianella plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in East Gresford, New South Wales, Australia in March, 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dianella plant by divisions in East Gresford, New South Wales, Australia since Oct. 10, 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Dianella plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Dianella have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Allyn-Citation’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Allyn-Citation’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Dianella plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and slightly outwardly slanting plant habit.     -   2. Dense growth habit.     -   3. Narrow and stiff leaves arranged in an upright basal rosette.     -   4. Grey green-colored leaves.     -   5. Durable with good garden performance.

Plants of the new Dianella differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dianella are more compact than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Dianella are more erect than and not as         weeping as plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Dianella are denser than and not as open as         plants of the female parent selection.     -   4. Leaves of plants of the new Dianella are more narrow than         leaves of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Dianella differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dianella are more compact than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Dianella are denser than and not as open as         plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Dianella are more narrow than         leaves of plants of the male parent selection.     -   4. Plants of the new Dianella and the male parent selection         differ in leaf color as plants of the male parent selection have         green-colored leaves.

Plants of the new Dianella can be compared to plants of Dianella revoluta ‘DR5000’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,719. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in East Gresford, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Dianella differed primarily from plants of ‘DR5000’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dianella were taller than plants of         ‘DR5000’.     -   2. Plants of the new Dianella had slightly narrower leaves than         plants of ‘DR5000’.     -   3. Plants of the new Dianella and ‘DR5000’ differed in leaf         color as plants of ‘DR5000’ had dark green-colored leaves.

Plants of the new Dianella can also be compared to plants of Dianella revoluta ‘DRG04’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,454. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in East Gresford, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Dianella differed primarily from plants of ‘DRG04’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dianella were more compact than plants of         ‘DRG04’.     -   2. Plants of the new Dianella had slightly narrower leaves than         plants of ‘DRG04’.     -   3. Plants of the new Dianella and ‘DRG04’ differed in leaf color         as plants of ‘DRG04’ had green-colored leaves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Dianella plant. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Dianella plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Allyn-Citation’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Allyn-Citation’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the third sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Allyn-Citation’ grown in an outdoor landscape.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in two-gallon containers in an outdoor nursery in Woodlake, Calif. and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Dianella plant production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 35° C., night temperatures ranged from 2° C. to 19° C. and light levels averaged 1,000 klux. Plants were 7.5 months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Dianella revoluta ‘Allyn-Citation’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Dianella             revoluta, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Dianella             revoluta, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By divisions.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 12 to 14 days at             temperatures of about 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at             temperatures of about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About 84 days at             temperatures of about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About 112 days at             temperatures of about 15° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; beige in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Compact, upright and slightly             outwardly slanting plant habit; dense growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 32 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 32 cm. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Two-ranked, simple; grass-like; sheathing;             arranged in a upright basal rosette.         -   Length.—About 34 cm.         -   Width, flattened.—About 6 mm.         -   Shape.—Linear.         -   Apex.—Tapering to a point.         -   Margin.—Entire with minute points.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright then slightly outwardly slanting             with development.         -   Cross-section.—Concave.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous,             glaucous; lower surface with spines at the midrib, color,             similar to lamina.         -   Venation pattern.—Parallel.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 147A covered with a waxy bloom, close to 189A.             Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147A covered with a waxy bloom, close to 189A. Venation,             upper and lower surfaces: Similar to leaf surface color. -   Inflorescence description: Inflorescence and flower development has     rarely been observed on plants of the new Dianella. Flower     initiation and development typically occurs during the autumn in     Australia and plants typically do not flower until the second year     of production. When present, the panicled flowers are blue, close to     104B, in color and the mature fruits are also blue, close to 104B,     in color. Other inflorescence, flower bud, flower and fruit     characteristics are similar to other cultivars and selections of     Dianella revoluta that initiate and develop flowers known to the     Inventor. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Dianella have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Dianella. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Dianella have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 45° C. 

1. A new and distinct Dianella plant named ‘Allyn-Citation’ as illustrated and described. 